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Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Chart
This article covers food
storage times in freezers and refrigerators.
Since product dates aren’t a guide for safe use of a product,
consult this chart and follow these tips. These short but safe time limits will
help keep refrigerated food 40° F (4° C) from spoiling or becoming dangerous.
- Purchase the product before “sell-by” or expiration dates.
- Follow handling recommendations on product.
- Keep meat and poultry in its package until just before using.
- If freezing meat and poultry in its original package longer than 2 months,
over-wrap these packages with airtight heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, or freezer
paper, or place the package inside a plastic bag.
Because freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following
recommended storage times are for quality only.
|
Product
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Eggs |
|
|
| Fresh, in shell |
4 to 5 weeks |
Don't freeze |
| Raw yolks, whites |
2 to 4 days |
1 year |
| Hardcooked |
1 week |
Doesn't freeze well |
|
Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, opened
|
3 days |
Don't freeze |
| Liquid pasteurized eggs or egg substitutes, unopened |
10 days |
1 year |
Mayonnaise, commercial
Refrigerate after opening |
2 months |
Don’t freeze |
|
|
Product
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
TV Dinners, Frozen Casseroles
Keep frozen until ready to heat |
|
3 to 4 months |
|
| Deli & Vacuum-Packed Products |
Refrigerator |
Freezer |
|
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, tuna, ham, macaroni salads
|
3 to 5 days |
Don’t freeze well |
| Pre-stuffed pork & lamb chops, chicken breasts stuffed w/dressing
|
1 day |
Don’t freeze well |
| Store-cooked convenience meals |
3 to 4 days |
Don’t freeze well |
| Commercial brand vacuum-packed dinners with USDA seal, unopened
|
2 weeks |
Don’t freeze well |
|
|
|
|
Raw Hamburger, Ground & Stew Meat
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Hamburger & stew meats |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
| Ground turkey, veal, pork, lamb |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Ham, Corned Beef
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Corned beef in pouch with pickling juices
|
5 to 7 days |
Drained, 1 month |
|
Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened
|
6 to 9 months |
Don’t freeze |
| Ham, canned, labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened
|
3 to 5 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked, whole |
7 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked, half |
3 to 5 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Ham, fully cooked, slices |
3 to 4 days |
1 to 2 months |
|
|
Hot Dogs & Lunch Meats
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
(in freezer wrap)
|
| Hot dogs, opened package |
1 week |
1 to 2 months |
| Hot dogs, unopened package |
2 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
|
Lunch meats, opened package
|
3 to 5 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Lunch meats, unopened package |
2 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
|
|
Soups & Stews
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
|
Vegetable or meat-added & mixtures of them
|
3 to 4 days |
2 to 3 months |
|
|
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Bacon |
7 days |
1 month |
| Sausage, raw from pork, beef, chicken or turkey
|
1 to 2 days |
1 to 2 months |
| Smoked breakfast links, patties
|
7 days |
1 to 2 months |
|
Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” unopened
|
3 months |
1 to 2 months |
| Summer sausage labeled “Keep Refrigerated,” opened |
3 weeks |
1 to 2 months |
|
|
Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, & Pork)
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Steaks |
3 to 5 days |
6 to 12 months |
| Chops |
3 to 5 days |
4 to 6 months |
| Roasts |
3 to 5 days |
4 to 12 months |
| Variety meats (tongue, kidneys, liver, heart, chitterlings) |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Meat Leftovers
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Cooked meat & meat dishes |
3 to 4 days |
2 to 3 months |
| Gravy & meat broth |
1 to 2 days |
2 to 3 months |
|
|
Fresh Poultry
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Chicken or turkey, whole |
1 to 2 days |
1 year |
| Chicken or turkey, parts |
1 to 2 days |
9 months |
| Giblets |
1 to 2 days |
3 to 4 months |
|
|
Cooked Poultry, Leftover
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Fried chicken |
3 to 4 days |
4 months |
| Cooked poultry dishes |
3 to 4 days |
4 to 6 months |
| Pieces, plain |
3 to 4 days |
4 months |
| Pieces covered with broth, gravy
|
1 to 2 days |
6 months |
| Chicken nuggets, patties |
1 to 2 days |
1 to 3 months |
|
|
Fish & Shellfish
|
Refrigerator
|
Freezer
|
| Lean fish |
1 to 2 days |
6 months |
| Fatty fish |
1 to 2 days |
2 to 3 months |
| Cooked fish |
3 to 4 days |
4 to 6 months |
| Smoked fish |
14 days |
2 months |
| Fresh shrimp, scallops, crawfish, squid
|
1 to 2 days |
3 to 6 months |
|
Canned seafood
Pantry, 5 years
|
after opening
3 to 4 days |
out of can
2 months
|
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Areas covered in this
article include:
food safety, food storage |
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